


Hidden Depths

by YourGirlThursday



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode Tag, F/M, Gen, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-26
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-27 02:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2675138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourGirlThursday/pseuds/YourGirlThursday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Emma unclenched her hands. She had been thinking about how she didn’t want Regina messing with Killian’s head. It was so in her nature to protect him that her magic answered without her calling it." </p><p>Post-episode 4x09 one-shot. Based on a prompt from the lovely Nouqueret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hidden Depths

**Author's Note:**

> This is set post episode 4x09. It takes place a few days after the manor showdown and should be canon compliant until the next episode. Italics are memories. Please forgive me for the awful title. If you have a suggestion let me know!
> 
> Many virtual cookies and thanks to Nouqueret for the prompt of [So Elsa had two aunts... Where is the other one? In the twin urn that was in the Jolly Roger?] I might not have shown that scene, but the entire thing is built around that idea so hopefully it hits the mark :)

Emma toyed with the ribbon around her wrist. It seemed odd to her that this was how the Snow Queen chose to tie her up with magic. The silky piece of yellow material seemed so harmless. If Regina made some magical jewelry it would’ve been leather or metal. The ribbon looked more like something a child would wear in her hair. It seemed so innocent even if it wasn’t.

Killian sat down at the kitchen table across from her. His legs tangled with hers. Since the night at the manor, he had been touching her more often. When they started dating it became something he did a lot, but it seemed now that Killian didn’t go more than two minutes without touching her. Between that and how high the intensity of his gaze had ratcheted up, it wasn’t hard for Emma to read between the lines. He was terrified of losing her. She hadn’t meant to upset him like that. Hopefully once the Snow Queen was gone he would stop worrying that every moment together was their last.

“Dubloon for your thoughts, love?” Killian asked with a small smile on his face.

Emma sighed. “I just hope this is worth it. There’s a lot of my life that she erased. I don’t know if I’m ready to have all of these other memories of her. We were happy once and then it ended really badly.”

Killian’s hand stilled Emma’s. He laced his fingers with hers. The scrape of his calluses shot sparks of warmth up Emma’s hand. It never failed to surprise Emma how much of an effect Killian’s touch had on her.

“There’s still time to call Regina and tell her you no longer wish to have your memories back. She could try it on Elsa first. It’s possible that Regina may not even find the troll rock or remember how to use it.”

Emma shook her head. “I have to do this. What if I know some weakness of hers? It could mean all the difference when we go up against her.”

Killian’s tongue darted out to wet his lips. His careful façade of calm wasn’t fooling Emma. She kept catching glimmers of how stressed out he was. The strain around his eyes and the set of his mouth gave him away. He was trying to be strong for her, which was really sweet but also really stupid of him.

“There’s something I should tell you, love. When we were at the manor –“ Killian’s voice trailed off.

Emma saw how overcome with emotion he was. Her eyes followed how his hook snagged on the front of his shirt, almost as though he was clutching his chest. His fingers tightened around hers. A deeply sad look appeared in his eyes. Emma walked around the table to stand at his side. She rested her hands on his shoulders, turning Killian so he was facing her. His head tilted up so his eyes could meet hers.

“We’re both survivors, Killian. You aren’t going to lose me any more than I’m going to lose you.”

Emma leaned down to press her lips to his. She intended for it to be a short kiss, one that reassured him. Killian held onto her with his hand at the nape of her neck. There was something heartbreaking about how slowly, reverently he was kissing Emma. She felt somehow unworthy of that kind of attention and adoration.

“Good thing I found those rocks. I may need to make myself forget this.”

Emma and Killian sprang apart at the sound of Regina’s voice. The woman in question was hanging up her coat and laying down her purse. Emma wasn’t embarrassed so much as guilty. She still felt that hollowness inside from taking away Regina’s chance at happiness.

Killian opened his mouth with an undoubtedly sarcastic remark, but Emma spoke up before he could. “Did you figure out how they work?”

Regina shrugged. “I’ve used them before. It’s just like riding a bicycle.”

“Only instead of skinned knees I’ll end up with screwed up memories if you mess this up,” Emma muttered.

“How about you try it on me first, Regina?” Killian offered.

“You really don’t have to do that. I can handle it,” Emma said.

Killian shrugged. “If she uncovers another bad memory it really won’t make much of a difference to me. Plus, she messed with your mind for months, years even. Let’s practice on someone with a bit less to recover.”

Emma frowned at his words. She hated it when he tried to sacrifice himself for her, even if it did make sense to try his mind first.

Regina sat down in a chair next to Killian’s. She sat facing him with the table in between them. Her fingers moved along what looked to Emma like a small, ugly pebble. When it lit up with magic, she revised that description in her head. The light danced around the stone and Regina’s hand. It swept up and around Killian’s head. Regina frowned and murmured something.

“You’re blocking me. You have to let me in so I can do my job.”

Killian huffed. “I’m open. Maybe this isn’t as easy as riding that bicycle you mentioned.”

Regina narrowed her eyes then tried again. She made a noise in frustration then looked at Emma.

“Is this your doing?”

Emma unclenched her hands. She had been thinking about how she didn’t want Regina messing with Killian’s head. It was so in her nature to protect him that her magic answered without her calling it.

“Much better. Try thinking about the Snow Queen,” Regina instructed.

Killian drew back and gasped.

“It worked.”

* * *

 

It was strange. At first it didn’t feel like anything had happened to Killian. There was nothing different in his head. He expected to be immediately bombarded with memories. Instead it was like knocking a box off a high shelf. Everything tumbled out as soon as he hit the right spot.

Thinking about the Snow Queen was the key. It unlocked the memory Regina had revealed.

_Killian stumbled a little as he moved along with Emma. Her heel had caught in a crack on the sidewalk. Killian grabbed her around the waist, thankful for the return of his left hand. His hook would’ve torn the pretty pink of Emma’s dress if he had been wearing it._

_“Distracted by my dashing good looks, love?” Killian teased._

_Emma snorted. “You wish.”_

_She steadied herself before wrapping her arms around Killian’s neck. Her movements brought their mouths a hairsbreadth apart. Emma’s eyes searched his. The small, content smile on her lips warmed Killian’s insides._

_“Thank you for tonight. It was nice not having to deal with monsters or magic or anything. I wish we could have more nights like this,” Emma told him before pressing a small kiss to his lips._

_Killian wasn’t satisfied with just one kiss. He stole one and then another and another. Emma welcomed each one, pulling him down so she could kiss him more thoroughly. Before long they were making out like teenagers, with Emma sandwiched between a wall and Killian. Her back was protected from the brick by the jacket she borrowed from him. Killian’s hands slipped behind the leather material to feel the silkiness of Emma’s dress and her back. Emma’s fingers were clenched in his shirt, grabbing him closer and closer. It was a thing normal couples did, which delighted Killian further._

_An unexpected chill in the air announced the Snow Queen’s arrival before Killian saw her._

_“I would apologize for interrupting, but I’m not actually sorry,” the Snow Queen said._

_Killian and Emma turned to face her, both ready to dive in front of the other if magic started flying their way._

_“What do you want?” Killian asked._

_The Snow Queen assessed him coolly. “I really don’t get your attraction to him. He doesn’t have magic. He’s a pirate. It’s only a matter of time before he abandons you.”_

_“Are you really here to comment on my love life? Seriously?”_

_The Snow Queen’s face creased in confusion. “I care about you, Emma. You may think he does too, but he’ll eventually become afraid of your magic and leave you.”_

_“I would be dead several times over if not for Emma’s magic. She’s saved me time and time again. How could I hate something she has used to protect me?” Killian countered. His fingers tightened around Emma’s._

_“So you’re using Emma for her magic? If it suddenly became unstable, you’d go? Interesting.” The Snow Queen mused. “This has been educational, but unfortunately I’ll have to be the only one who remembers this talk.”_

_The Snow Queen pulled a small rock from her pocket. Killian arched an eyebrow at the stone. It seemed so ordinary to him._

_“You truly believe that pebble will relieve us of our memories?”_

_The Snow Queen smirked. “You don’t remember me or Anna so I’d have to say yes.”_

* * *

 

There were some days when Regina really hated teaming up with the Charming Family. Today was one of those days. She restored one of the pirate captain’s memories yet hadn’t received any thanks. Never mind that she had to go searching her entire crypt for the troll rock. All she got for her efforts was a front row seat to The Captain Swan Show. Sarcasm was the only way she was going to make it out of the loft with her sanity intact.

Emma waited patiently for Killian to explain everything he had seen. Would it have killed the man to skip over detailing their makeout session until later? Clearly it would have because he spent more time on that than he did on the important facts. It was a shame Charming was at the library with the others. Killian probably wouldn’t have gone into such detail in front of Emma’s father. It occurred to Regina that that was probably the first time she had ever longed for the prince to be near her. Killian and Emma really were warping her.

It was like pulling teeth to get Killian to tell them anything. Regina tried to make a list in her head of all the things she learned. The first was that clearly she was a magical badass and her spell worked. The second was that Captain Guyliner was even more of a besotted puppy than she initially thought. That wasn’t really news, but it was something that the Snow Queen also knew would be a way to get to Emma. It almost seemed like that whole exchange in the station was based on that conversation. The third thing was that Killian at one point had met both the Snow Queen and Anna.

That meant Regina would have to noodle around in Killian’s head again, which was not high on her list of things she wanted to do that day. Luckily, she didn’t have to examine any of his memories. It was more like she had to find these little bubbles and pop them. The memories had this binding on them that Regina simply had to undo.

Killian finally finished so Regina could start again. There were a couple more spots she could approach. She chose one in the middle thinking that it could give them enough of the story.

* * *

 

_Killian was thrown into the cell by two guards. He stumbled to the ground, unable to stand after the beating he had received._

_“We’ll have to try again tomorrow to see if he’ll tell us anything,” the woman in white said._

_At the sound of the lock, Killian slumped against the stone wall. He truly didn’t understand why he was being held. He had never set foot in Arendelle before. Sure, he was a well-known pirate captain, and that meant he had enemies in every port. This seemed excessive though._

_“What’s your name?” a voice called from the cell next door. Killian couldn’t see the occupant of the cell, but he could tell it was a young girl. He knew he should be wary of her. The young lady could be an agent of the woman in white. He just wouldn’t tell her anything he hadn’t already told the others._

_“Captain Jones, and you?”_

_“Anna, Princess of Arendelle. What trumped up charges are you in here on? I mean actually I don’t know that they aren’t real charges. It’s just that I assume that they are false because I mean my aunt threw me in here for doing next to nothing,” the voice chirped._

_This Anna was a talkative, little one. Killian would put her age somewhere in the early teens, though she could just be naïve. She had been thrown into jail by her aunt so the latter seemed much more likely._

_“Your aunt?”_

_“Tall blonde lady in the most awkwardly corseted white dress? That’s my aunt. Her name’s Ingrid. I haven’t really called her Aunt Ingrid though yet. We just found out about her recently. She’s kind of a surprise relative. Apparently, my mom had two sisters that we never knew about. Ingrid was trapped in this urn thingy my sister found with my fiancé Kristoff. Elsa accidentally let her out. So anyway Ingrid just wormed her way into our lives. She really only wants Elsa around because they both have magic. I’m ordinary so I got tossed down here. Well, okay she also misinterpreted the fact that I stole a magical artifact from this sorcerer guy. It was quite the accomplishment to have the upper hand against someone people refer to as the Dark One. You’d think that’d earn me bonus magic points or something.”_

_Killian caught bits and pieces of this Anna’s story. She seemed quite fond of pauses and tangents. The last thing she said piqued his attention though._

_“The Dark One? You bested him?”_

_A laugh rang out. “I took his magic dagger and told him send me home unharmed. Pretty smart, right? It’s a shame my aunt doesn’t have some self-destruct thingy like that. It would make life so much easier.”_

_“Where is he? Do you think he’s still where you left him?”_

_There was silence for a moment. It seemed like something that didn’t come often from Anna. “Why do you care so much about this guy? You should be more worried about escaping my aunt. I mean unless you can exact your revenge from the cell but I highly doubt that. If you had some way of getting out of here, you’d take me too, right? Or you’d at least tell Kristoff and Elsa where I am?”_

_Killian rolled his eyes. “I believe in good form. It wouldn’t be in my nature to leave a princess alone in a dungeon.”_

_“If I found a way out, I’d take you with me. Promise. I wouldn’t take you to the sorcerer until you told me why you wanted him though.”_

_“It’s a long story, lass.”_

_“We’re stuck down here for who knows how long. Humor a girl. I’ll try not to interrupt, but I make no promises. As you can tell, I like to talk a lot.”_

_Killian wasn’t sure what made him start talking. Maybe it was that he knew this was the best way to get this young lady to talk. Maybe it was that Anna couldn’t see his face, the raw pain there. Maybe it was that he had never told anyone this story and he needed to. It had been so long since Milah had died, but he had been so unwilling to talk about the bone deep ache he felt without her._

_When his tale wound down, Killian could hear muffled sobs from the next cell._

_“I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine losing my Kristoff. The pain you feel must hurt so much. I’ll tell you whatever you need to know.”_

_They traded information back and forth until Anna yawned loudly. The two prisoners decided that it was time for bed. Killian tried to find a comfortable spot on his cot._

_“What will you do once you defeat the Dark One?” Anna asked._

_Killian mulled over the question. It was one he sometimes thought of but rarely answered. What would be left for him once his quest was completed?_

_“Grow old and die, I suppose. There isn’t anything left for me in this world.”_

_Anna’s sleepy voice drifted from her cell. “My greatest wish for you isn’t that you find vengeance. I hope you find peace and someday another woman to let into your heart. She’ll be brave and strong, but also wounded like you are. You’ll start off as begrudging allies, like Kristoff and I did, but you’ll soon start to value each other and care deeply for one another. It’ll be a love story for the ages.”_

_Killian rolled his eyes at Anna’s optimism. She was sweet, but she clearly didn’t understand his thirst for revenge. Killian closed his eyes. A second later a grating noise woke him up. It reverberated around the dungeon. It sounded like a heavy door being dragged open._

_“Anna?” Killian called._

_There was no response from the princess. The noise started up again. Killian soon realized what the noise was. His new friend was snoring._

_Killian allowed himself to relax. He slowly drifted to sleep._

* * *

 

Emma wasn’t sure if she could handle how haunted Killian looked. She knew this was a terrible idea, even though it had been her own. Maybe that was what tipped Emma off. The Snow Queen was throwing her off of her game in a big way.

Killian shook his head quickly and cleared his throat. “Again.”

Regina made a face like she was impressed. Emma felt her magic spark at the tips of her fingers. She was itching to stop Regina again. Killian’s resolve kept her from stopping him though. If the roles had been reversed she would’ve been furious with him for trying to stand between her and answers.

“Are you sure,” Emma asked, giving him one more out.

Killian turned to face her. “Anna and I were held prisoner together. I said I would help her escape. Clearly, I haven’t fulfilled that promise and we’re running out of time. I have to do this.”

Emma nodded wondering what exactly Killian meant by ‘running out of time.’ Sure, the Snow Queen would probably use that magic mirror from Hell she had soon, but Emma got the feeling that wasn’t what he was talking about.

Her boyfriend had some explaining to do.

* * *

 

_Killian had been captive for a week or so by his reckoning. It was hard to keep track of the days when there was no sunlight. His captor made few visits, so he couldn’t even count his days by them. Killian wondered how Anna had held up as well as she had. The princess was still vibrant and cheery despite her current predicament._

_The clank of the door echoed through the dungeon. Judging by the grumbling of his stomach, Killian figured it was meal time. Unfortunately for him it was just his captor and her guards. She was smiling like the cat that got the canary. Ingrid didn’t look like she could actually harm him, but her expression still made Killian uneasy. He hoped she was coming for him, not Anna._

_“Well hello, Captain Jones,” she practically cooed. “Look what I finally found.”_

_She showed off a rock that didn’t look like much to Killian. It would barely do any damage to him even if she used a slingshot and some serious muscle. The light that started emanating from it made Killian start to think that it was probably some sort of magical object._

_“What did you do with the urn?” Ingrid demanded. She loomed over him, keeping the door closed so the bars stayed between them._

_Killian frowned, then the memory snapped straight into his mind._

_“I took it to the Isle of the Lost. The head troll erased my memory when I returned for the other half of my payment. The queen wanted all memories of her sisters destroyed. She said that they had both died and were now kept in matching urns,” he said, marveling at the sudden appearance of this memory._

_Ingrid keened loudly. Her hands shook as she clenched them. Her grip was so tight that they turned white around the edges._

_“You’re no longer of any use to me, pirate. Get up.”_

_The guards opened the door and hauled Killian to his feet. He was led out roughly. One guard held him up from behind, supporting him under the arms. The other undid the shackles around his wrists and feet._

_“You’re free to go.”_

_Killian stumbled over his feet. Had he heard right? He was able to get on his ship and leave this wretched place. A quick look over his shoulder showed him Anna’s hopeful face. The lass was older than Killian had first thought even if she did plait her hair. He winked at her, but said nothing. He didn’t want to tip his hand. Killian strode toward the door. Every step made this reality a little more believable._

_“Oh, one more thing. We can’t have you saying anything, now can we, Anna?” Ingrid asked._

_Anna pulled herself up with the bars on her prison doors. Her face fell at an alarming rate. Ingrid held up her rock again. The blue light spilled out again._

_Killian wondered what he was doing in this prison. It didn’t seem familiar, but then again it wasn’t his first time waking up in a strange cell, not knowing where he was._

_“I’m so sorry you got lost, Captain Jones. I hope this prisoner didn’t cause you too much trouble.”_

_A young redhead with braids on both sides of her head stared at Killian. Her chin wobbled and her eyes were shining with tears._

_“I don’t think she did. Where’s my ship?”_

_The prisoner broke out into sobs. She threw her hands over her mouth to stifle them, but they reverberated around in the stone corridors._

__It broke his heart a little that Killian could hear her crying even once the door was closed._ _

* * *

 

Killian clutched at his chest as he came back. The guilt nearly overwhelmed him. He couldn’t imagine how much it would choke him once (not if, but once) he got his heart back.

“I left her there. The Snow Queen took what she needed from me, stole my memories, and made me walk out without helping Anna.”

Emma surged forward and kneeled on the ground near Killian. She held him even though her head only came up to his shoulder.

“Oh, Killian. It wasn’t your fault.”

Regina raised any eyebrow. “You sure you want to go next, Ms. Swan. That doesn’t seem so fun.”

Killian continued to claw at his chest. He felt the gaping absence of his heart even stronger now. It was all too much for him.

“Are you okay?” Emma asked before her phone started ringing. “It’s David. I have to take this. Figure out what’s wrong with him.”

Emma answered her phone sharply and went out of the apartment.

Regina stood and circled Killian’s chair. “Have you been poisoned? Spelled? Injured?”

Killian ignored the question. He wasn’t sure how to answer it. He couldn’t tell them outright that his heart had been stolen. Or could he? He had never been told not to.

“The Crocodile he took –“ Killian was unable to finish the sentence. The words died instantly on his lips.

Regina eyed Killian’s hand and took in his words. He could pinpoint the exact moment she figured it out. Her expression was one of resigned anger. She shook her head and pursed her lips.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she groaned.

Killian knew what was coming next so he shut his eyes. He didn’t need to see Regina wind her arm back only to plunge it into his chest. A cry was torn from his mouth as she hit her mark and felt around for his missing organ.

“Damnit Rumple,” Regina sighed.

“Not the expletive I used, but the sentiment was the same,” Killian drawled.

Regina’s face was not amused. “I don’t know why I help you people. The messes you find yourselves in!”

“At least now someone can keep me away from planning. I could foul things up or report back,” Killian pointed out.

Regina put her head in her hands. She scrubbed her palms against her face then fluffed her hair.

“I’m not telling anyone else. The last thing I need is them worrying about you instead of the mission.”

“How noble,” Killian said tartly.

Emma chose that moment to return to the room. She seemed to not notice the tension between Killian and Regina. Killian reflected for a second and realized that she probably did, but just thought it was the normal stuff.

“I’m benching your boyfriend. He needs a power nap if he’s going to be any help. We need to go find Elsa and restore her memories. Mary Margaret probably won’t care if he stays here. It has the highest wards.”

Emma looked like she wanted to protest, but something in Killian’s face changed her mind. She was reluctant to leave him, which secretly pleased Killian. He didn’t like being away from her either.

“Alright, but call someone if you need help,” Emma told him.

“I won’t call someone, Swan. I’ll call you,” Killian replied.

Regina and Emma both rolled their eyes at the comment. Regina truly was annoyed by their display. Emma was fondly exasperated.

“Just press the ‘Emma’ button and I’m there,” she reminded him with a smile, thinking of his name for her speed dial.

Regina muttered something about puppies before grabbing her things and exiting the door. Emma kissed Killian on the cheek quickly before following.

Killian just hope Elsa and Emma didn’t suffer as much as he had.

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot was a behemoth! I did not intend for it to get so long. It took me a while to write because there were some things I wanted the show to tell us first. Plus, that gave me a project for this week since there was no new episode therefore no new chapter to Blind Spots.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed Sass Master Regina and my first attempt at writing Anna :)


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